10 lessons for PNG from the last decade

By MALUM NALU
The last 10 years of economic growth in PNG has not seen improved development outcomes for the people, according to Asian Development Bank country economist Aaron Batten, The National reports.
He was speaking at the launching of a new ADB report, Diagnosing PNG’s Critical Development Constraints, at the University of PNG on Wednesday night.
“The last decade of economic growth has not been able to catalyse improved developed outcomes for the majority of PNG,” Batten said.

A pothole in the centre of downtown Port Moresby yesterday…growth is not translating into development .-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

“The barriers to inclusive growth are large, but some positive lessons emerge from the last decade.
“Transforming these lessons into actions will be dependent on the people of PNG.”
Batten gave 10 lessons from a decade of growth, latest being the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
“PNG economy has performed well over the last decade,” he said.
“But the benefits of growth are not being evenly distributed.
“Why isn’t growth translating into more-inclusive development?“
What lessons can the last decade give for improving service delivery and making the next decade of economic growth more inclusive?”
Batten’s 10 lessons were:

• Government funding has a weak relationship with service delivery;

• Better services don’t always require more government money as proven especially by mobile phone and airline companies;

• Services sector has become a major source of prosperity;

• Landowner companies are becoming more compatible with modern business as proven in the success stories of Trans Wonderland, IPI, Star Mountain, National Catering and others;

• Proximity to Asia has become PNG’s most-valuable resource;

• PNG now has a formal economy capable of creating more jobs;

• Rapid population growth erodes progress;

• Unrealistic perceptions of resource wealth distort policy;

• New models of service delivery can offer big advantages; and

• Individuals can make a big difference as widely proven in the use of social media – a new phenomenon which has taken PNG by storm – such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs.